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Exodus 7, 8, 9

7The Lord said to Moses, See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.
2You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land.
3But I will harden Pharaohs heart, and I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
4When Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring my people the Israelites, company by company, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgement.
5The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.
6Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them.
7Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aarons Miraculous Rod

8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
9When Pharaoh says to you, Perform a wonder, then you shall say to Aaron, Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, and it will become a snake.
10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded; Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.
11Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers; and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same by their secret arts.
12Each one threw down his staff, and they became snakes; but Aarons staff swallowed up theirs.
13Still Pharaohs heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, Pharaohs heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.
15Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water; stand by at the river bank to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was turned into a snake.
16Say to him, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say, Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.
17Thus says the Lord, By this you shall know that I am the Lord. See, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall be turned to blood.
18The fish in the river shall die, the river itself shall stink, and the Egyptians shall be unable to drink water from the Nile.
19The Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egyptover its rivers, its canals, and its ponds, and all its pools of waterso that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout the whole land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.

20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and of his officials he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the river, and all the water in the river was turned into blood,
21and the fish in the river died. The river stank so that the Egyptians could not drink its water, and there was blood throughout the whole land of Egypt.
22But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts; so Pharaohs heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
23Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart.
24And all the Egyptians had to dig along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the river.

25 Seven days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

The Second Plague: Frogs

8*Then the Lord said to Moses, Go to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the Lord: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
2If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.
3The river shall swarm with frogs; they shall come up into your palace, into your bedchamber and your bed, and into the houses of your officials and of your people,* and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.
4The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your officials.
5*And the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, the canals, and the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
7But the magicians did the same by their secret arts, and brought frogs up on the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, Pray to the Lord to take away the frogs from me and my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.
9Moses said to Pharaoh, Kindly tell me when I am to pray for you and for your officials and for your people, that the frogs may be removed from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.
10And he said, Tomorrow. Moses said, As you say! So that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God,
11the frogs shall leave you and your houses and your officials and your people; they shall be left only in the Nile.
12Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs that he had brought upon Pharaoh.*13And the Lord did as Moses requested: the frogs died in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.
14And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.
15But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Third Plague: Gnats

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.
17And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and gnats came on humans and animals alike; all the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.
18The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. There were gnats on both humans and animals.
19And the magicians said to Pharaoh, This is the finger of God! But Pharaohs heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Fourth Plague: Flies

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, Thus says the Lord: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
21For if you will not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, and your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies; so also the land where they live.
22But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people live, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I the Lord am in this land.
23Thus I will make a distinction* between my people and your people. This sign shall appear tomorrow.
24The Lord did so, and great swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh and into his officials houses; in all of Egypt the land was ruined because of the flies.

25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and said, Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.
26But Moses said, It would not be right to do so; for the sacrifices that we offer to the Lord our God are offensive to the Egyptians. If we offer in the sight of the Egyptians sacrifices that are offensive to them, will they not stone us?
27We must go a three days journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as he commands us.
28So Pharaoh said, I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, provided you do not go very far away. Pray for me.
29Then Moses said, As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his officials, and from his people; only do not let Pharaoh again deal falsely by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.

30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.
31And the Lord did as Moses asked: he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his officials, and from his people; not one remained.
32But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and would not let the people go.

The Fifth Plague: Livestock Diseased

9Then the Lord said to Moses, Go to Pharaoh, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
2For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them,
3the hand of the Lord will strike with a deadly pestilence your livestock in the field: the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.
4But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing shall die of all that belongs to the Israelites.
5The Lord set a time, saying, Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.
6And on the next day the Lord did so; all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but of the livestock of the Israelites not one died.
7Pharaoh inquired and found that not one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he would not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw it in the air in the sight of Pharaoh.
9It shall become fine dust all over the land of Egypt, and shall cause festering boils on humans and animals throughout the whole land of Egypt.
10So they took soot from the kiln, and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw it in the air, and it caused festering boils on humans and animals.
11The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils afflicted the magicians as well as all the Egyptians.
12But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Thunder and Hail

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
14For this time I will send all my plagues upon you yourself, and upon your officials, and upon your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.
15For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth.
16But this is why I have let you live: to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth.
17You are still exalting yourself against my people, and will not let them go.
18Tomorrow at this time I will cause the heaviest hail to fall that has ever fallen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.
19Send, therefore, and have your livestock and everything that you have in the open field brought to a secure place; every human or animal that is in the open field and is not brought under shelter will die when the hail comes down upon them.
20Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried their slaves and livestock off to a secure place.
21Those who did not regard the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the open field.

22 The Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand towards heaven so that hail may fall on the whole land of Egypt, on humans and animals and all the plants of the field in the land of Egypt.
23Then Moses stretched out his staff towards heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire came down on the earth. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt;
24there was hail with fire flashing continually in the midst of it, such heavy hail as had never fallen in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
25The hail struck down everything that was in the open field throughout all the land of Egypt, both human and animal; the hail also struck down all the plants of the field, and shattered every tree in the field.
26Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, there was no hail.

27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and said to them, This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.
28Pray to the Lord! Enough of Gods thunder and hail! I will let you go; you need stay no longer.
29Moses said to him, As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lords.
30But as for you and your officials, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.
31(Now the flax and the barley were ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud.
32But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they are late in coming up.)
33So Moses left Pharaoh, went out of the city, and stretched out his hands to the Lord; then the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the earth.
34But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned once more and hardened his heart, he and his officials.
35So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

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Psalm 19

Gods Glory in Creation and the Law

To the leader. A Psalm of David.1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament* proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice* goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

In the heavens* he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring for ever;the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent;* do not let them have dominion over me.Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

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Matthew 21

Jesus Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

21When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,
2saying to them, Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.
3If anyone says anything to you, just say this, The Lord needs them. And he will send them immediately.*
4This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 Tell the daughter of Zion,Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them;
7they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.
8A very large crowd* spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!Hosanna in the highest heaven!
10When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, Who is this?
11The crowds were saying, This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 Then Jesus entered the temple* and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13He said to them, It is written,My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you are making it a den of robbers.

14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them.
15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard* the children crying out in the temple, Hosanna to the Son of David, they became angry
16and said to him, Do you hear what these are saying? Jesus said to them, Yes; have you never read,Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself?
17He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

18 In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry.
19And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, May no fruit ever come from you again! And the fig tree withered at once.
20When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, How did the fig tree wither at once?
21Jesus answered them, Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea, it will be done.
22Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?
24Jesus said to them, I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.
25Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? And they argued with one another, If we say, From heaven, he will say to us, Why then did you not believe him?
26But if we say, Of human origin, we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.
27So they answered Jesus, We do not know. And he said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, Son, go and work in the vineyard today.
29He answered, I will not; but later he changed his mind and went.
30The father* went to the second and said the same; and he answered, I go, sir; but he did not go.
31Which of the two did the will of his father? They said, The first. Jesus said to them, Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.
32For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

33 Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.
34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce.
35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way.
37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, They will respect my son.
38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.
39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?
41They said to him, He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.

42 Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the scriptures:The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;*this was the Lords doing, and it is amazing in our eyes?
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.*44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.*

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.
46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.